


Fire and Thorn

by mydwynter



Series: So Full of Light [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Beards, Beards (Facial Hair), Epilogue, Fairy Tale Elements, Flash Fiction, Hair, Love, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 19:39:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6623623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydwynter/pseuds/mydwynter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>The bones of his face were airbrushed into prominence by sun and exertion, spattered thereafter with freckles, and his hair had erupted in shadow, a dark and baffling Neo-Gothic rosebush.</em>
</p><p>Perhaps Mycroft should let his hair down more often.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire and Thorn

**Author's Note:**

> A brief epilogue to [So Full of Light](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1397623), and inspired by various photos of Mark Gatiss's curls. [[x](http://cdn.electriclemur.com/mydwynter.com/gatiss%20beard%20and%20long%20curls.jpg)] [[x](http://cdn.electriclemur.com/mydwynter.com/crimson%20petal%20gatiss.jpg)]
> 
> Thanks to betas BakerStMel and Mazarin221B, who always know the right things to say.

Work had kept Mycroft away for far too long. One week's travel was unbearable enough, but this time, it had been eight. Eight weeks of hell and fire. Eight weeks of darkness. In the past he would have been concerned the trip might have lingering effects, but support enfolded him the moment he stepped into their home. The brilliancy of Gregory's expression welcomed him like a powerful drug, analgesic and relaxant.

"Legwork is bothersome," said Mycroft.

"Those _curls_ ," Gregory answered. His voice was soft with wonder, as if Sherlock's perpetual mop presented no foreshadowing of the wayward bramble Mycroft's hair would become given eight weeks' overgrowth. The nature of said legwork had left Mycroft without a barber to trim it back. His beard had grown in thick and predictably itchy. The bones of his face were airbrushed into prominence by sun and exertion, spattered thereafter with freckles, and his hair had erupted in shadow, a dark and baffling Neo-Gothic rosebush.

He felt distractingly unkempt.

"God I missed you," Gregory said. The weight of his gaze stroked over his chest and arms, and raised gooseflesh. Mycroft's pulse sped. _You look gorgeous,_ he meant, and it was only after the last five years that Mycroft could accurately translate.

He scratched his fingers through Mycroft's beard and said nothing more, but he smiled as if sharing a secret, a white-toothed grin which so far had never failed to kindle something warm and thick in Mycroft's gut, as unquenchable as Greek fire. No doubt Gregory was thinking of the last beard Mycroft had grown, and of the relationship that had blossomed in its wake. He was contemplating—

The kiss was luscious. Weary, overwhelmed, and most of all _relieved_ , Mycroft shook into it. But Gregory lent him some of his strength, so by the time he recklessly curled his hands into Mycroft's hair, grabbing bold fistfuls of rambling English rosegarden, fairytale briars and all, Mycroft was prepared. Gregory had grown to embrace all the imperfection of Mycroft's existence, and Mycroft had learned to let him.

The knowledge blasted him clean.

Gregory barely pulled his mouth away before he spoke. "You should let your hair down more often," he said. 

Once, the idea would have been impossible. But Gregory provided him with unending security, and what was once impossible didn't seem so anymore. As he often said in the heat of their bed and at the cold break of dawn: he wasn't going anywhere. Whether Mycroft shaved or not, was away or not, Gregory would love him. Mycroft didn't understand how he got so lucky.

So when Gregory once again popped that smile at him, all Greek fire and hope, the darkness of the past eight weeks fell away. In its wake Mycroft was left with nothing but joy.

Life with Gregory was so full of light.


End file.
